Chapter 84: Approval

Chen Jin did not rush into immediate action. In fact, any long-distance travel he undertook now required state approval; every cultivator needed to get authorization from the relevant government departments before using major transportation. Of course, this verification process was very quick—after all, cultivators were special personnel and deserved special treatment.

He first bought a plane ticket to Laoshan for the day after tomorrow. No sooner had he done so than his phone rang. The nation’s information network was already fully integrated—there was no way anything Chen Jin did online could escape government monitoring. Every cultivator was a key surveillance target.

“Hello?” Chen Jin glanced at the caller ID; it was a landline.

They hadn’t even bothered to mask the number. Did the government not realize there were geniuses among the general populace? Some science geek could probably crack the number and play a prank call just for fun...

Well, he was overthinking it. There were few—if any—people reckless enough to try such things these days.

“Hello, may I speak with Mr. Chen?” The voice on the other end was sweet, a young woman.

The state had certainly thought of everything. He wondered if women cultivators would get a deep, magnetic male voice on such calls.

“Yes, this is he.” Or rather, this is your Uncle Chen...

“Did you purchase a ticket for the February 15 flight from Wuhang Airport in Rong City to Jiao’ao International Airport?” The voice remained steady, likely from extensive experience as a call center operator.

She probably hadn’t worked as an airline service rep, though. Her phrasing was a bit different from the usual flight inquiry calls.

“Yes, that’s correct.” Chen Jin didn’t bother to crack any jokes and simply answered.

“Because of your special status, we need to conduct a review. Could you arrange a convenient time to visit the Immigration Administration in Xialu County for verification? Apologies for the inconvenience; the regulations are newly enacted and the relevant offices aren’t set up yet, so we’re handling reviews at the immigration office for now.” The woman remained polite and even offered an explanation.

“Today, around noon,” Chen Jin replied after a moment’s thought.

“Thank you for your cooperation. We wish you a pleasant journey. Goodbye.” Her tone was still impeccably courteous.

“Goodbye.”

After hanging up, Chen Jin could only sigh. The information age had made the state’s oversight ever more stringent.

Their identities as cultivators had surely been investigated inside out; every ancestor to eight generations back must have been checked. Chen Jin had never done anything questionable, so he doubted he’d receive any special scrutiny—at most, the same attention as any ordinary cultivator.

After all, there were over ten thousand cultivators in China. Surely he wasn’t the only one being watched.

Besides, the treatment wasn’t bad—possibly even better than civil servants. Perhaps airports and train stations would eventually set up exclusive lounges for cultivators, just like the current VIP rooms.

Naturally, internet users who never had a chance to become cultivators would decry the unfairness. But that was just how things worked. Where in the world was there true fairness? Even a scale could only appear fair to the naked eye.

In this world, there was no fairness—only balance.

…

After lunch, Chen Jin no longer went to Wang Family Restaurant, ever since the world’s spiritual energy had somewhat recovered, though his deposit still remained there. He hadn’t withdrawn it—not for appearances, but because he figured he might host a meal in the future and it would be convenient to simply give his name and leave, toothpick in mouth, feeling quite impressive.

Recently, Wang Family Restaurant had launched a special cultivator menu—the very dishes Chen Jin used to order. The menu was wildly popular; the restaurant was packed every day and reservations were booked a month in advance.

The prices of those dishes had tripled thirty times—one meal cost over thirty thousand yuan—yet there was no shortage of wealthy patrons in Xialu County.

But considering what these nouveau riche usually consumed—expensive but pointless delicacies—the price seemed quite reasonable and the meal actually worthwhile.

Chen Jin’s parents had already dined there several times. As special members, they didn’t even need to wait in line...

Lunch was a quick affair.

Afterwards, Chen Jin headed to the Immigration Administration in Xialu County, which was located within the county’s Public Security Bureau as one of its departments.

The Public Security Bureau was easy to find, and someone was waiting for him at the entrance.

As soon as Chen Jin arrived, she greeted him with a bright, welcoming smile.

One does not raise a hand against a smiling person, and since Chen Jin was here for a flight approval, he certainly wouldn’t put on a sour face.

Both parties exchanged polite greetings and entered the bureau to begin the review.

The process was straightforward, likely because the regulations had just been enacted and everyone was still unfamiliar. Chen Jin was probably the first to undergo the procedure, so things hadn’t yet become complicated—they started with the basics, focused on the most important parts, and worked efficiently.

Perhaps they’d all been waiting for this very first case...

Midway through, there was an optional application form for the Cultivator Association. Chen Jin said he’d think about it—his intention was to apply, but he decided to wait for more information from the chat group before making a decision.

There was also a test to assess the strength of cultivators.

This was administered by a member of the Cultivator Association—a woman, incidentally.

She was attractive and well-built, which seemed common among cultivators.

“Hello, are you Mr. Chen Jin? I am Zhuang Yue, a member of the Cultivator Association,” she said, professional and efficient.

“Yes, that’s me. Hello.” Government departments loved redundant questions, asking what they already knew.

Though he grumbled inwardly, he maintained the polite, upstanding image of a modern young man.

“Mr. Chen, as you know, cultivators possess extraordinary power, which can cause significant social unrest. That’s why we need to conduct an assessment—to ensure the stability of society and your own safety. Thank you for your cooperation,” Zhuang Yue said graciously.

It was no easy task for her, either.

“Thank you for your hard work,” Chen Jin replied with a nod.

“We will assess your cultivation level and strength shortly. Could you share some information about your cultivation? There’s no need to disclose your cultivation method, and we do not advocate making that public,” Zhuang Yue continued.

“This review is strictly confidential. The records will be stored in the Cultivator Association’s archive system and cannot be accessed by any other government entity. Please rest assured.”

…